Hi… looking for anyone who has had experience with heather honey in the flow frames?
Typically here keepers don’t like it because it’s hard to get out of the frames, very sticky and crystallises quickly. This honey tastes amazing in my opinion and I’d love to harvest it. I understand the theory that it is warm in the hive and will therefore tap off easily however I’m looking for anyone who has first hand experience of this? I want to be prepared so I know when to take of the flow frames for winter. (In Sweden!)
Thanks
I have no experience and no idea- but- here in Australia we have Canola (rapeseed?) and that also candies quickly and in the frames. However I don’t recall hearing a single report here on the Flow Forum of a singe person yet having any issue with honey that has crystalized in the Flow Frames anywhere in the world? I would have thought if it was big issue it would have cropped up by now somewhere. Maybe Im wrong and missed a thread on here. There have been a lot of people wondering about it- it was one of the things I first worried about when I heard of flow frames.
I had some honey that was partially candied in one flow hive- and it flowed out fine. But it was mostly still in a liquid form- I strained it as I harvested it- and there were crystals left in the sieve…
Another thing I have noted: honey from flow frames tends to candy more slowly than spun honey from the same hive.
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Hi Thanks for your input!
We have rapseed here too however I am lead to believe that the heather honey is much harder to harvest here than the rapseed - but I guess I’ll find out soon enough I hope!
We have a Sweden flow hive FB group but none on there have heather growing near their Flow hives so they couldn’t say to be sure. I have lots of heather around here so all going well with my bees maybe I’ll get some in the flow frames and test it out.
Cheers!
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Hello- and no worries!
I guess if the hive is easily accessible- you could try to keep a close eye and harvest as soon as the frames are ready.
Exactly what I was thinking 
there are flow hives in Scotland, the home of heather, and I think if there was a problem the Scots would let us know loudly.
Good idea to give it a try and you will know first hand, worst that can happen is that you have to remove each frame and use your hair drier to warm the honey and extract it in your kitchen. 
Regards
Heather has to be agitated out or pressed.
You might have trouble with a Flow super
In the UK you might get a little heather mixed in by accident and it’s no problem. As for filling a whole super we take bees to the heather after they have been prepared for it. Good strong colonies squashed in till the pips squeak with empty traditional supers on top. Nobody would take a Flow super up.
There are good heather moors all over the UK, not just Scotland 
Hi dee!
I’ll have to wait till next year to find out…my two new hives are keeping all of their honey for the winter.ill be putting the flow supers to the test next year!
Our yard faces out to the forest where there is loads of heather, however this year it’s been so dry the heather hasn’t got very many blossoms. I love the flavour of heather honey so it would be nice to harvest it one year at least!
There was an article in the BBKA about Flow Hives and one part included information about extracting heather from the Flow Frames.
The fellow thought it was easier than the traditional method of harvesting heather.
He mentioned taking apart the Flow Frames and using paddlepop sticks to scrape out the honey. Sounds time-consuming, but he thinks itàs easy…
When heather is in bloom just take the flow super off and put thin foundation in and you will be rewarded with comb honey to die for. No extracting 
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Sounds like the best simple solution
Those new cassettes would be good maybe for the heather? Or those jars that you install upside down on a board.
Did you test it out I’m going to try it out this year